Hydraulic drive



Feb. 9, 1932. H, HE|MBERGER HYDRAULIC DRIVE Filed Jan. 1s.v 195o 2Sheets-Sheet l QM y FM.

Patented Feb. 9, 1932 Parar rricr HERMANN HEIMBERGER, OF REUTLINGEN,GERMANY HYDRAULC DRIVE Application led January 13, 1930, SerialkNo.420,612, and in @Hermany December 5, 1.929.

5 each' of the two headlights may be moved separately and both beinclined together in order to provide proper lighting when negotiating acurve.

The two headlights are suitably controlled 10.from the steering-wheel ofthe vehicle and the actuating means of both placed simultaneously underliquid pressure, the headlight not to be moved however beingautomatically kept in i its straight7 position while a special lockingdevice nevertheless permits a motion .in the other direction.

' By way of example, the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the invention;Fig. 2, a horizontal axial section of the moving device of oneheadlight; Fig. 3, a horizontal axial section of the controllingcylinder of an improved modification; and Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectionof the tilting device to be combined with the moving device.

According to the modification shown in Fig. 1 the headlights arecontrolled from the steering-wheel 1 of the vehicle, for which pur- 0pose a liquid cylinder 2 is provided whose piston 3 is controlled by thesteering lever 4 of the steering gear. From the chambers before andbehind the piston 3 the conduits 5 r and 6 lead to two cylinders 7forming part of the two moving or slewing devices of the headlights.Within the cylinders 7 the double pistons 8 are disposed with theintermediate rackl 9 engaged by a pinion 11 arranged on the headlightshaft 10.

Moreover, a stopping device is provided permitting only one of theheadlights to ymove while the position of the other one remainsunaltered, the one permitted to move being, for example, the headlightlocated on the inside of a curve. In the embodiment shown, the stoppingdevice consists of a notch 12 in the pinion 11, which is engaged by aprojection 13 Iowing to the pressure of a spring 14. The notch 12 is soshaped as to prevent the pinion 11 from turning in-one direction(counter clockwise in Fig. 2) while motion in the other directionbecomes possible only under considerable braking produced by providing asuitable pitch of the lateral surface of the said notch. rThe radial orstopping surface of the notch 12 is arranged oppositely in the twoheadlights.

When the controlling piston 3 (Fig. l) has been drawn to the right, onlythe piston 3 in the right-hand cylinder 7 hasbeen shifted by thepressure ofthe liquid, i. e., only its headlight has been shifted whilethe piston 3 Vin the cylinder 7 of the left-hand headlight is held inposition bythe notch 12 and the lug 13. If straight driving is resumedagain and the controlling piston 3 thus returned to the centralposition, the previously' shifted piston 8 of the right-hand headlight ipressed back into locking position owing to the liquid pressuredeveloped in the piping 6, while the left-hand piston 3 remainsimmovable, because th'e resistance produced by the pitch of the notch 12is greater than the friction between the lug 13 and the outer surface ofthe right-hand pinion 11.

On the other hand, if the controlling piston 3 (Fig. 1) be moved to theleft, the other headlight will be shifted.

Fig. 3 discloses a modilication of the apparatus for controllingthe-piston 3. in this case an in-built gear isemployed which at firstmoves the headlight vmore rapidly than at the end of .its motion, alever 15 being shifted by the steeringgear and caused to act on a pinion17 by means of a gear wheel 16. The pinion 17 moves a lever 13 carryinga sliding block 19 adapted to shift in a link 21 arranged on the rod 2Oof the piston 3. In this waythe control piston 3 is moved to and fro ateach steering action, and the headlight will always illuminate thecurve-in a highly satisfactory manner provided the gearings aredimensioned properly. Bv

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slightly tilting the headlight shaft 10 to the f rear the rays of lightwill be lowered when the headlighttconcerned 1s moved so as to obtaingood light for the road.

To prevent the motion of the headlights during the day, Va conduit 22connecting the two chambers of the control cylinder 2 before and behindthe piston 3 has been provided with a shutting-off cock 23. When thecock 23 is opened, the pressures within the cylinder 2 at both sides ofthe piston 3 are equalized so that no motion can take place.

Fig. 1 shows still another modication for controlling the headlightswhich can be controlled also independently of Vthe steering gear bymeans of a device that is actuated separately. In the modification showna pressure piston 25 operated by hand orIfeot is provided for thispurpose for each side, and each cylinder .24 is in communication .withthe control cylinder 2 by means of a conduit 27 fitted lwith the-seal26.V

According to the invention, the headlights can vbe'til'ted also by meansof a device the drive of which corresponds to that for themovingdevice.k This can be effected by one of the-two pistons-25actuated independently from the steering gear if suitable seals 2G have:been chosen. This arrangement is shown in the lower Yportion of Fig. land briefly and collectively referred to by the -numeral 28. Y

For the purpose stated special conduits 429 lead from the conduits 27 tothe cylinders of the devices 28 fortilting the headlights.

VBy shiftingvonefof thepistons 25 the driving shaft l() of the devices28 is moved and the other piston 2 5 pressed back owing to the pressureof the liquid. By depressing' 'the proper piston all parts are againbrought intonormal position. y

Devices 'in whichthe-tilting of the headlights is elfected by turningthe driving shafts are shown by way of example in Fig. 4, the-drivingkshaft for the tilting mechanisin being disposed -in the hollow drivingshaft of the shifting device.

In vehicles vprovided with lubrication by circulation for the enginetheV oilemployed for lubrication can be used also fortilting. In view ofthe relatively small quantity vdelivered by the type of oil pump 30usually employedbehind it an air chamber 3l is ,providedzas a reservoirof energy. Incase of overpressure in the vessel 31, and in the daytime,pressure is relieved by a piping 32 yleading to the oil collector 33. Iftilting is then to be effected from the air chamber 31,

'the shutting-omembers 26 are adjusted accordingly. The actuation of acontrol valve 34, for vexample,causes oil to enter the cylinders of thedevice 28 through the left-hand conduit andthe displaced oil flows.through the valve 34 and .through the conduit 32-to the collector 33,while a. reversal of the valve 34 causes :the headlights to returnautomatically to normal position, n

If the moving Vand tilting devi-cesfor the headlights are combined,tilting v.talre place automatically at each motion. Fig. Il shows a part4of such `a device, the cylinders of both devices being disposed in acommon casing so that the cylinder for tilting is underneath.

The shaft 10a of the inclining device passes through the hollow shaft10.7) and carries a gear 35 in mesh with two diametrically opposedpinions 36 rotatably arranged in a head 37 of the shaft 10b on screws 38having right and left-handed threads respectively. The screws 38 arescrewed through nutspositioned to be loosely movable in the ends ofa'rocker ewhichcan be'moved with- .to both headlights; aspeedchangegearlinterposed between saidpump andthe steering mechanismwhereby `said Vpump isfoperated by sai d steering ,mechanism a pistonmotor vfor swinging each'headlight which is oper.- ated by the pump anda device 'arranged to control the driving liquid furnishedby the pump insuch manner that v`that"head-light which .is on the inside ofthe curvewhenithe Ydirection of travel of the vehicle` changes `will `be swunginandout while swingingvof the' other headlightv isnprevented, :and othermeansfor simultaneouslyinclining the first headlight downwardly.

2. A'hydraulic operating means as in claim 1 in Vfurtherl combinationwith .-a separate inclining Vdevice `whereby both headlights 1 may belowered or raised in any desiredposition independently of theswinging'movement. i Y

3. Ahydraulic operating'means as incla'im vl, wherein the controldevice-consists of a wedge-shaped, spring-actuated latch, al rotarymember having gear teethon onefportion of its Aperiphery and having anotch whichis bounded by a substantially, radial surfaceron one sideandjby an vinclined su-rface on Vthe other, -cooperating with .said

"latch, and a casing, said rotarymemberbe- Ymg arranged in said casingand secured it'o the swinging shaft of fthe headlight.'

4. A hydraulicoperati-ng means in accordance Awith claim 1 wherein there'is Va gear wheel onfthe shaft of each headlight,fand each 'headlightswinging device `has two -pistons and a connecting rod `formed as a'rackb ar which meshes with the gear .wheel located upon the shaft of thesaid headlight. vl5. A hydraulic operating meansin accordance with claim'l wherein `the zpump?haslt'wo pistons and `a connecting rod, said rodbeing formedas a guide, a .gear wheeldriven l by the steering mechanism,a crank actuated by said gear wheel, and a lug on said crank sliding insaid guide.

6. A hydraulic operating means in accordance with claim 1 wherein aseparate inclining device is provided, to incline the headlights asdesired independently of the swinging, said inolining device beingarranged in a common control block with the other operating devices.

7 A hydraulic operating means in accord-- ance with claim 1 wherein themeans for inclining the headlights is guided by the operating shaft ofthe headlight swinging device; said shaft being hollow; a gear wheel onthe lower end of said shaft and a. piston rod in the inclining device,which is formed as a rack bar, said gear wheel being in mesh with saidrack bar to be actuated thereby.

8. A hydraulic operatingV means in accordance with claim 1 having a gearwheel on the swinging device shaft, and means for operating the same; a.second gear wheel provided upon the drive shaft for the inclining means;a housing; gear wheels supported therein, in mesh with said second gearwheel, connected with the drive shaft for the swinging device; screwspindles carrying said gears and having oppositely moved nuts thereon;and a carrier connecting same and having lateral pins, which carry theheadlight, journaled in the housing connected with the drive shaft forthe headlight swinging means.

9. A hydraulic operating means as in claim 1 wherein two auxiliary pumpsare provided which can be put in service at desire, and which can beused for actuating either the swinging device or the inclining means.

10. A hydraulic operating means in ac cordance with claim 1 wherein theoil under pressure necessary for the actuation of the inclining'means ofthe headlights is delivered by an oil pump, for example a lubricatingoil pump already present in the vehicle, and wherein a small air chamberis provided for storing same, the oil being conducted therefrom to theactuating device; oil pressure conduits for same, and a multiple waycock therein which is operable from the drivers seat of the vehicle.

In testimon whereof I alx my signature.

HE MANN HEIMBERGER.

